Card-file.



PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

' c. KECK.

CARD FILE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1902. NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

C. KECK.

CARD FILE.

UNITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903. I

PATENT OFFICE.

GLOBE-VVERNIOKE COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO,

OF OHIO.

A CORPORATION CARD-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,112, dated August 4, 1903.

Application filed December 10, 1902. Serial No. 134,638. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, CHRISTIAN KEoK,a citizen of the United States, residingat Crescent Springs, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oard-Files,of which the following is a full,clear,and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. to My invention relates to files for index or other cards for use in libraries, offices, and other places where cards are used for purposes of indexing accounts or reference; and it has for its object the improved construction 1 5 of such files whereby theirease of manipulation, security, and efficiency are increased.

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1,

Sheet 1, is a plan view of a card-file embodying myinvention. Fig. 2, Sheet 1,is a central sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, Sheet 2,is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, showing the operating mechanism when the card-retaining rods are closed and with the end of the drawer removed. Fig.4,Sheet 2, is a corresponding view showing the card-retaining rods spread apart and the position of 0 the operating parts under this adjustment.

Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a detail sectional side elevation of the lower part of the follower and its parts which engage the card-retaining rods. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a plan View of the card-retaining rods and the pivoted latch therefor which is carried by the follower. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, is a perspective view of the card-retaining rods at one end when closed. Fig. 8,Sheet 2, is a view corresponding to Fig.

7, showing the rods spread apart.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the figures.

In its preferred form of construction the file is a drawer, of which a series is usuallyemployed andmcgltained in a suitable case or cabinet. The dhawver may have an interior width just sufiicient to COITiZElH a single row of cards which stand on edge transversely of the drawer, or it may be wide enough to have two or more card-compartments side by side and extending from the front to the rear of the drawer. I have only illustrated a drawer with a single card-compartment; but it will be readily understood that this may be duplicated or pluralized into a drawer with any number of compartments desired, the mechanism in each compartment being indentical with that illustrated and to be described.

In the drawings, A represents the bottom of the drawer; B, its side walls; 0, its front wall, and D its rear wall. There is a slot E through the bottom of the drawer at its middle extending its entire length for the passage of the bottom lug or foot-piece of the sliding follower F, to be hereinafter described. Secured to the inner side of the front and rear walls at their middle and extending to the bottom are two guide and housing plates G, similar in construction and clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4:. These plates contain abent-out inwardly-projecting portion forming on the rear of each a horizontal slot at, at the middle of which is an opening I) through the plate, and directly below this opening is a bent-out inwardly-projecting portion 0, Figs. 3 and 4, forming a housing for crank-arms d, fast on a horizontal rod H, extending the entire length of the drawer parallel with its bottom and journaled in the plates G, with a washer e at its rear end, as seen in Fig. 2, and extending through the front wall 0 of the drawer and having an operating thumb-button. f upon the exterior of the front wall of the drawer, which button serves not only to turn the rod on its axis to spread and draw together the filing-rods, but also serves to pull out and push in the drawer in its compartment.

Just above rod H are the two parallel card retaining and releasing rods I, which are flat bars standing vertically and having their ends g, Figs ,3, 4 7, and 8, bent at right anglesandsecured in the slots on of the housingplates G, the bars themselves passing through the openings 1) in said plates. The. lower sides of the arms 9 are beveled ofi from their angle to their outer extremities, as clearly seen in Fig. 4, for a purpose to be presently explained, and links it connect the opposite ends of the crank-arms d with the outer ends of the arms g, as seen in Fig. 4. These links are rigid pieces and have pivotal connections both with the crank-arms and the arms g.

In Fig. 3 the position of the parts is shown with the bars I drawn together, in which position they are slightly tilted from each other at their upper edges, and the armsg rest upon the bottom of the slot a. This is the position they occupy when it is desired to re move one or more cards from the drawer or to replace the same, the cards having in their lower edges the usual vertical slot terminating in an upper oval opening to permit the spreading of the bars when the cards are to be locked in the drawer, as is common in this class of card-files.

To spread the bars I to lock the cards within the drawer, as seen in Figs. 4. and 8, it is only necessary to turn the buttonfand partially rotate the rod H to, the position shown in Fig. 4, when the bars will first be thrown to a vertical position, as seen in Fig. 7, with the upper edges of the arms gresting against the upper sides of the slots a, and then they will be drawn uniformly and bodily away from each other, always maintaining their parallel position, as seen in Figs. at and 8.

The follower F is of the usual or any suitable construction, having a lower portion occupying a space in the slot E and with an aperture through the same for the passage of the rod H, which is held in frictional contact with the follower by any suitable spring, as i, Fig. 5. The follower likewise carries a pivoted latch-piece J, Figs. 5 and 6, pivoted,

as at j, with a beveled tongue k, adapted to dmdown between the bars I when the latter arfipened, as shown by thedotted lines,

Fig. 5, thereb acting as a wedge to prevent the pressing UOgOIFGiKOf the bars I to enable any card or cards to be retrieved at the pinchedtogether portions while said bars are spread apart at their ends, as will be rfitdil understood. This last-described device kespecially intended for use where the rod H hfi place any one or more cards. As soon, however, as the rod H is turned to bring the bars lowering of the arm g and are then drawn together in this tilted position and acting upon the beveled end of the tongue K of the latch J force the same upward and out from beunder and the latch-piece assumes the position shown by the solid lines of Fig. 5.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a card-file, the combination of a filing base, a pair of card retaining and releasing rods parallel therewith and having their ends bent outward and confined in guide-slots at the front and rearof the base, arotatable rod suitably journaled below and parallel to said card-rods, crank-arms fast on said rotatable rod, pivoted links connecting said crank-arms and the bent-out ends of the card-rods, and an operating-button upon the end of said rotatable rod, substantially as described.

2. In a card-file, the combination of a filingbase, a pair of card retaining and releasing rods parallel therewith, composedofrflat bars set on end and having their ends be nt outand rear of the base, said bent arms being beveled to permit a slight tilting motion of the card-rods, a rotatable rod suitably journaled below and parallel to said card-rods, crank-arms fast on said rotatable rod, pivoted links connecting said crank-arms and the bent-out ends of the card-rods, and an operating-button upon the end of said rotatable rod, substantially as described.

base, a pair of card retaining and releasing rods parallel therewith, composed of flat bars set on edge, mechanism for slightly tilting and bodily moving said bars toward and from each other, and a follower mounted on the base and provided with a latch-piece adapted "tesflrop between the card-bars when spread apart 7 o be automatically raised from between saidmrsavhen the latter are drawn together, substantiallyasdescribed.

CHRISTIAN KEOK. Witnesses:

EDWARD PECK.

ward and confined in guide-slots at the front 3. In a card-file, the combination of a filing- WM. J. PECK,

I together said bars are first tilted by the tween the bars, which are then free to close 

